Spatial antenna diversity techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10998615-B1
Application number	US-202016844682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2020
Priority date	Apr 12, 2019
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include headphone devices with spatially diverse antennas employing multiple operational modes and antenna switching policies. The headphone device may identify a current mode of operation and wirelessly communicate with at least one external device based at least in part on the current mode of operation. Further, operating in a first mode of operation, the headphone device may cause switching circuitry to selectively couple a first antenna to the common port in accordance with a first antenna switching policy. While operating in the second mode of operation, the headphone device may cause circuitry to selectively couple a second antenna to the common port in accordance with a second antenna switching policy that is different from the first antenna switching policy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A headphone device comprising:
a first earpiece;
a second earpiece;
a first antenna at least partially disposed in the first earpiece;
a second antenna at least partially disposed in the second earpiece;
switching circuitry coupled to the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein the switching circuitry comprises a common port and wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively couple the common port to either the first antenna or the second antenna;
communication circuitry coupled to the common port of the switching circuitry, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to cause the headphone device to wirelessly communicate with at least one external device based at least in part on a current operation mode from a plurality of operation modes, wherein causing the headphone device to wirelessly communicate comprises:
while the current operation mode is a first operation mode of the plurality of operation modes, causing the switching circuitry to selectively couple either the first antenna or the second antenna to the common port in accordance with a first antenna switching policy; and
while the current operation mode is a second operation mode of the plurality of operation modes, causing the switching circuitry to selectively couple either the first antenna or the second antenna to the common port in accordance with a second antenna switching policy that is different from the first antenna switching policy.

2. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the first operation mode is a WI-FI operation mode where the headphone device wirelessly communicates with the at least one external device over a 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) WI-FI communication link or a 5 GHz communication link and wherein the second operation mode is a BLUETOOTH operation mode where the headphone device wirelessly communicates with the at least one external device over a BLUETOOTH communication link.

3. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the first operation mode is a synchronized playback mode where headphone device plays back audio content that is synchronized with content output by another device and the second operation mode is a non-synchronized playback mode where the headphone plays back audio content that is not synchronized with content output by the another device.

4. The headphone device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one processor coupled to the communication circuitry and wherein the communication circuitry is further configured to receive one or more messages from the at least one processor indicative of the current operation mode and identify the current operation mode from the plurality of operating modes based on the one or more messages from the at least one processor.

5. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein causing the switching circuitry to selectively couple either the first antenna or the second antenna to the common port in accordance with the first antenna switching policy comprises:
measuring at least one performance parameter during a first duration of time while wirelessly communicating with the at least one external device using the first antenna;
determining whether the at least one performance parameter measured during the first duration of time is outside a first operating range; and
causing the switching circuitry to couple the second antenna to the common port when the at least one performance parameter measured during the first duration of time is outside the first operating range.

6. The headphone device of claim 5 , wherein causing the switching circuitry to selectively couple either the first antenna or the second antenna to the common port in accordance with the second antenna switching policy comprises:
measuring the at least one performance parameter during a second duration of time while wirelessly communicating with the at least one external device using the first antenna, wherein the second duration of time is longer than the first duration of time;
determining whether the at least one performance parameter measured during the second duration of time is outside a second operating range; and
causing the switching circuitry to couple the second antenna to the common port when the at least one performance parameter measured during the second duration of time is outside the second operating range.

7. The headphone device of claim 1 , further comprising a headband, wherein the first earpiece comprises a first member attached to the headband and a second member that pivots about an axis relative to the first member and wherein the first antenna is at least partially disposed on the axis.

8. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the first earpiece is rotatable about an axis, and wherein the first antenna is at least partially disposed in the first earpiece such that a position of the first antenna relative to a head of a wearer is substantially independent of rotation of the portion of the first earpiece about the axis.

9. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the switching circuitry is at least partially disposed in the first earpiece and wherein the headphone device further comprises:
a first transducer at least partially disposed in the first earpiece;
a second transducer at least partially disposed in the second earpiece;
an audio amplifier at least partially disposed in the first earpiece; and
a cable assembly.

10. The headphone device of claim 9 , wherein the cable assembly comprises:
a coaxial cable that couples the second antenna to the switching circuitry; and
one or more conductors that couple the second transducer to the audio amplifier.

11. The headphone device of claim 10 , wherein the cable assembly comprises an outer jacket, wherein the coaxial cable is at least partially disposed within the outer jacket, and wherein the one or more conductors are at least partially disposed between the coaxial cable and the outer jacket.

12. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry comprises:
a wireless transceiver;
an amplifier coupled between the common port of the switching circuitry and the wireless transceiver;
a bypass-switch coupled in parallel with the amplifier; and
a first filter coupled between the amplifier and the wireless transceiver.

13. The headphone device of claim 12 , wherein the communication circuitry further comprises:
a switch having a first port coupled to the wireless transceiver, a second port coupled to the amplifier, and a third port coupled to the common port of the switching circuitry; and
a second filter coupled between the wireless transceiver and the first port of the switch.

14. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna comprises a passive multi-band antenna.

15. A method of operating a headphone device comprising a first earpiece and a second earpiece, the method comprising:
wirelessly communicating with at least one external device to obtain audio content based on a current operation mode from a plurality of operation modes, wherein wirelessly communicating with the at least one external device comprises:
while the current mode of operation is a first operation mode of the plurality of operation modes, selectively coupling, via switching circuitry, either a first antenna at least partially disposed in the first earpiece or a second antenna at least partially disposed in the second earpiece to communication circuitry in accordance with a first antenna switching policy; and
while the current mode of operation is a second operation mode of the plurality of operation modes, selectively cou

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Van Erven Niels
• Payandehjoo Kasra
• Frey Michael
• Maglio Anthony
• Roberts Ron

Classifications

• H04R2420/09

  Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04R2201/028

  Structural combinations of loudspeakers with built-in power amplifiers, e.g. in the same acoustic enclosure (H04R2499/10 takes precedence; Single (sub)woofer with two or more satellite loudspeakers for mid- and high-frequency band reproduction driven via the (sub)woofer H04R2205/026) · CPC title

• H04R5/033

  Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)} · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title